Mechanical figure toy



May 25, 1937. ANDREATTA MECHANICAL FIGURE TOY 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 15, 1935 M y 1937. L. ANDREATTA 2,081,785

MECHANICAL FIGURE TOY Filed Aug. 15, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 wkwmee dveoxia Patented May 25, 1937 PATENT orrlcs MECHANICAL FIGURE TOY Lawrence Andreatta,

one-half Application August 15, 1935,

1 Claim.

This invention relates to mechanical figure toys.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a mechanical figure toy having a plurality of movable animated figures capable of being operated by means of a wind wheel or motor.

A further object of this invention is to provide a mechanical toy of the above mentioned character in which the wind wheel may be easily detached for the purpose of storing the toy after use or packing for shipment.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a movable mechanical figure toy including a casing having a series of stepped figure supports whereby each row of figures may be clearly visible when in operation. Other objects and advantages of the invention willbecome apparent during the course of the following description, taken with the drawings, wherein,

Figure'l is a front elevational view of the toy embodying this invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view illustrating the operating mechanism for the various figured elements;

Figure 3 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows, illustrating the link mechanism for operating alternate rows of figured elements in unison;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of one of the animations illustrating the operating mechanism therefor; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view of another form of figured element illustrating the manner in which the same is secured to the-casing or stepped support. 7

In the drawings, the reference character 5 will generally be employed to designate a casing having a bottom wall 6, end walls I, a comparatively high back wall 8 and a relatively low front wall 9. Connecting the end walls 1 and spaced upwardly from the bottom wall 6 are supporting strips l0 and H arranged in stepped relation and secured to the end walls by screws or the like. The back wall 8 is provided with an enlarged portion l2, the upper end of which is formed into a hub [3 for supporting a rotary operating shaft 14. Upon the lower face of the hub l3 there is provided an angle bracket l5 having a hub I5 forming a bearing for the upper end of the operating rod I4 while the lower end is provided with a crank portion l1 and the free end is journalled as at I!) in a bearing l8 secured to the bottom wall 6 of the casing.

to Santo Ceretta,

Chicago, Ill., assignor of Chicago, Ill.

Serial No. 36,399

The upper face of the enlarged hub I3 is provided with a bearing 25 for rotatably receiving one end of an inverted U-shaped arm 2! on one end of a rod 22 and on the other end of which is formed an upright U-shaped portion 23 terminating in a vertical spindle for supporting the hub 24 of a wind wheel having fan-shaped blades or vanes 25. A pulley 25 is formed on the hub 24 over which may be trained a belt 27 which also passes over a pulley 2S rigidly secured to the upper end of the operating shaft M.

The red 22 carrying the wind wheel may swing upon the axis of the bearing 20 in a horizontal plane. Guide members 21a are formed on the swinging rod 22 for guiding the belt 21 as is clearly shown in Figure l.

The figure toys are adapted to be supported in the casing 5 upon the stepped bars l0 and II and also by the front wall 9 and by the back wall 8. A supporting strip 29 is spaced from the back wall 8 by interposing blocks between the ends 30 of the strip 29 as shown in Figure 1.

Secured to the rear faces of the front wall 9 and strips 15, II and 29 are bars 3|, 32, 33 and 3a which support the figured elements as at 35, 36, 3'! and 38. The figure elements may be arranged in rows upon the strips 3| to 34 inclusive and as shown in Figure 4 the row of figuretoys 36 may be secured in place by providing figure toys with wire elements or 40 having legs 4! and 42 received in staples 43 arranged in spaced relation, preferably inv pairs along the strips 3| to 34 inclusive.

Each of the figure toys may be provided with movable arms or other body members as at 44 and 45 respectively so that the movable arms or other'body members may be connected by the respective links 46 and 41 to an operating bar 48. Reference is had to Figure 4 which includes one of the figure elements mounted on the strip 32 and the other figure elements arranged on the strips 3|, 33 and 34 in rows as at 35, 31 and 38 may be operated in unison by rods 49, and connecting links 5 l I The rods 49 and 50 extend longitudinally of the casing and the free ends thereof are respectively pivotally connected asat 56 to opposite bell cranks 52 and 53 having their intermediate portions pivotally attached to ears 54 and 55 projecting respectively from opposite end walls I. The bell cranks 52 and 53 are formed with the opposite arms offset as clearly shown in Figure 3 and said arms project from opposite sides of a spindle 51 that forms a part of the bell crank and is freely rotatable between the ears. Intermediate the ends of the spindle 57 of the bell crank 52, there is provided a link or arm 60 for pivotal connection as at 62 with the link rod SI and the opposite end of the link rod 6! has a pivotal connection at 63 to the crank arm H of the drive shaft M.

The operating rod 48 is supported by arms 64 and 65 connected to vertical spindles 65 and 67 respectively, which spindles have their upper ends journalled in ears 63 and 6%, secured to the rear Wall 3 of the casing. The lower ends may be secured in bearings ill on the bottom wall 6 of the casing.

An arm H is connected at one end to the shaft 6'! and the other end of the arm Y! has a link connection 73 with an arm 72 that is connected to the shaft 5i of the bell crank 53, the link it being pivoted at M and 75 to the arms ?2 and H respectively.

Many of the figure toys 35, 35, and 38 may be provided with movable arms or members as illustrated in Figure 4 and the figure toys designated by the reference characters 35, 3c, 3? and 5'38 illustrated in Figure 2, have operating members or movable arms controlled by links 36, "H and it which have their lower ends connected to the rods 48, i9 and 55 by being received in openings formed in tubes "i9 and 89 and loops 3!. The tubes 19, 88, and the loops M are arranged on the rods '48 and as, and rod Eii respectively at spaced intervals as shown in Figure 3 so that any number of movable arms or members carried by the rows of figure toys may be operated alternately.

The upper ends of the links is, H and 78 may be connected in any suitable fashion to the movable arms or members of the figure toys 35, and 3'! to cause the arms or members to move when the rods 48, 59 and 543 are reciprocated longitudinally of the casing and said links embody suificient flexibility to compensate for varying distances of the rods id, 49 and 59 from the planes of the figures.

Loops &2 are secured to the rod 553 for operating the movable members or arms carried by the rear row of figure toys 38 through the operating arms 5| which have their lower ends slidably received in the loops 82 as clearly illustrated in Figure 2.

The rear supporting strip 3 may be provided with still toys 38' arranged at intervals between the movable toys 38 and said still toys 38 may be secured in place by a U-shaped wire 39' having the legs 36 received in spaced pairs of staples or looped elements 43.

It is to be understood that the various rows of movable toys 35, 3'! and 33 are to operate substantially as shown in Figure 4 and that the movable toy 36 shown in Figure 2 is to be a representation of a bell having a striker arm Qt) supported by a rod 9| in a pivotal fashion as at 92. The operating link 11 controls the vertical arm 93 by being pivoted at its upper end as at 94 to the figure element 36 as at 95 so that swinging movement of the figure element 36 on the pin 96 will represent a bell and a striker in motion when the rod 48 is recinrocated.

For a consideration of the operation of the invention, it will be first seen that the wind wheel in being rotated by adequate air current, causes rotation of the drive shaft M and reciprocation of the rods 49 and 50 through the links Gil, BI and the bell crank arms 52 and 53. This motion imparts swinging movement to the arms or members of figure toys and 31 through the links l6 and 18. The intermediate reciprocating rod 48 is operated through the medium of the arm 64 formed on the upper end of the spindle 56 which is oscillated by means of the link ar rangement l2 and i3 operated by one of the spindles 57 whereby the row of toys having movable arms or members 36 may be operated in unison by the links 45 or 4'! connecting the respective members.

It is to be understood that the various movable toys may be interchanged and placed on different supporting strips 3| to 34 inclusive by reason of the manner in which the same are detachably secured in place.

It is also to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as the preferred embodiment of the same and various changes in the arrangement of parts may be. resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

In a mechanical figure toy of the character described, a casing, strips extending longitudinally of the casing in spaced and stepped relation, rows of figure toys removably supported on the strips, some of said toys having movable parts, a bell crank lever at each end of the casing and including a vertical bearing spindle and lateral arms, longitudinally extending rods pivotally connected at their ends to the outer ends of the bell crank arms, and re spectively associated with a row of toy figures, means connecting the movable parts of the toy figures to the rods and means for oscillating the bell crank spindles for effecting reciprocation of the rods, the oscillating means for the bell crank spindles including a vertical crank shaft, a horizontally swinging arm having one end journalled coaxially with the crank shaft, a fan wheel rotatable on the other end of the arm, a drive connection between the fan wheel and crank shaft, and link connections between the crank shaft and one of the bell crank spindles.

LAWRENCE ANDREATTA. 

